The woman ahead of me on the final flight had her seat back the whole time, so I couldn’t work, which peeved me greatly. So I read, and rested my tired eyes, and as we approached LAX, I stared out the window at the astonishing expanse of lights stretching farther than the eye could see. I could pick out some outlying cities based on where I thought we were, but when we got into LA County, everything was one big grid. Like a giant computer chip. Like a parasite spreading out and taking over the earth’s surface.

When we drive on the 405, usually headed home, at night, I always look out and count the planes lining up to land at LAX. I don’t know why; it’s just become a little ritual with me. I marvel at how efficient airports and air traffic controllers are. It was interesting to be _on_ one of those planes this time. Shift in perspective.

Ken and his mom picked me up, and there were still folks sewing here when we got home. I said hi to everyone and then came back in to get water, because I realised I was very thirsty. I ended up checking e-mail—not all of it, not stressing about it, just deleting definitely unneeded stuff and getting a feel for what was in store for me.

I stayed up way too late finishing Barbara Hambly’s _Sold Down the River_. She knows how to write endings that grab and haul you along for the ride.

Ken seems to have cleaned the entire house while I was gone. It’s enough to move a girl to tears, I tell ya.

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An almost-sale! “Matchmaker” has made it through the second round at Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. Now they’re holding it for 2-3 months to see where it will fit. They say about 1 in 3 stories that get to this level get bought.

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I’ve spent most of today answering e-mail. Even some that was still sitting from before I left. Still a few more to go, but the tips of my fingers started to get numb at one point.

I’m feeling a little cranky, and I’m not entirely sure why. Some of it was dealing with stupid e-mail, but I’m done with it. Maybe it’s because I haven’t written yet. Maybe it’s because writing on this computer feels wrong somehow. One of the things Ken and I talked about was me going to B&N (or somewhere) each day to write for a few hours. I can do that once I get a keyboard for the Palm. The tables at the local B&N seem to fill up really fast, though, so I’d probably have to be there at 9 when they open. Which isn’t a bad goal, really.

Meanwhile, Ken’s taking over some of the e-mail lists we’re on, via his e-mail address. It makes more sense for him to be on Caid-rapier, and either of us can be on Company of Clothiers (it’s most reminders of when the meetings are). I think he took two other ones, too. It’ll help free up a little of my time.

On another note, it looks like we’re going on another vacation—next week! It’s the massive annual rally for BMW K12 riders, this year in TN. (Ooh. Ahh.) We’ve been waffling for a long time, for various reasons. (We want to take a 1-2 week bike trip in October, to AR to visit Ken’s grandmother, and to see some of the Southwest. Can we afford both? Can we take the time for both? Etc.) We’ve decided to fly, and we can use flyer miles. We actually paid for the rally a long time ago, and the hotel, too, I think. So the cost now will be rental car (which Ken can get for cheap) and some food (some dinners are included). We’re flying into Atlanta and hope to spend a day with my sister, her beau, and my niece.

Did I mention this was next week? Eek! I’ll be taking the laptop—one of the reaons this will work is that they’ll have free DSL set up at the hotel for everyone, so I can keep on top of GWW e-mail (and all the other e-mail). There will be tours of a major aquarium (because who knew there was a major aquarium in a state that isn’t near an ocean?) and the Biltmore Estate, but there will also be a couple of days where Ken will be in motorcycle repair classes (geek) and I can write.

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One of our mouse pads has bit the big one. The Styx Grand Illusion pad has cracked down the middle. So we’re in the market for another one. The working one has the Da Vinci man on it, so technically the GI one was “mine” and thus I get to get a new one. I’m thinking I’d like something pagan/Celtic/artistic/historic. Definitely something unique and not available in Staples. I’ve found two pagan ones that are okay, but don’t scream “buy me”, and a Waterhouse one.

If anyone has suggestions of where to find cool mouse pads online (or even in Orange County), please let me know!